Secure SD-WAN for Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud Environments

Published

Written by

Filed under

The Current State of Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud

The current state of multi-cloud and hybrid cloud can be quickly summarized with these statistics from Flexera:

And these numbers from Flexera are not unique. Businesses are rapidly embracing multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments because of their flexibility. They allow organizations to avoid vendor lock-in and leverage the best and/or most cost-effective cloud services available for a given business need.

However, while businesses are eager to take advantage of the flexibility a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud environment can offer, providing a consistent user experience to cloud environments over an Internet connection can feel like an uphill battle. Much of the connectivity path will be out of your control, and often riddled with many latency-inducing hops.

In addition, securely connecting workloads together between multiple clouds, as well as connecting your on-prem data center and office to these cloud environments, can be complex. Even if you have the staff with cloud networking and security expertise, the lack of end-to-end visibility and centralized management across multiple cloud environments increases the risk of breaches, data loss, and compliance penalties.

Cloud On-Ramps & VPLS CloudHop™

Cloud on-ramps directly address the need for a consistent user experience by bypassing the Internet and instead providing your users with a high speed, low latency connection to a cloud provider. Services like Direct Connect from AWS and ExpressRoute from Azure allow a business, via a service provider like VPLS, to establish these direct links to their cloud environments, bypassing the many hops it would normally take to reach that cloud via the Internet. This dedicated link guarantees a reliable, consistent experience for users and their cloud assets.

However, with multi-cloud architectures, establishing and managing all of these cloud on-ramps can be an administrative burden. In addition, the more cloud on-ramps you have, the less ROI each of these direct links provide. VPLS CloudHop™ solves these challenges by having VPLS do the administrative legwork to maintain these direct links with the cloud providers. Instead, we just provide your business a single, cost-effective connection point that can be provisioned to connect to any and all major public cloud providers.

Combine CloudHop™ with Internet or Ethernet Transport services from VPLS, and we can extend your multi-cloud environment all the way back your offices and existing data centers.

Intelligent Path Selection & Path Redundancy with Secure SD-WAN

Although cloud on-ramps with VPLS CloudHop™ and VPLS Internet and/or Ethernet Transport services will provide the best user experience for your business’ multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, there is a possibility that not all of your cloud workloads need this level of performance.

With VPLS’s Managed Secure SD-WAN service, all possible paths become part of a unified SD-WAN “overlay” network, and each path is measured for the current latency, jitter, and packet loss. SD-WAN then, in real-time, can intelligently route traffic across the links that meet your defined SLA for that specific application or traffic flow. VPLS’s Managed Secure SD-WAN service is application aware, powered by a database of known applications, but also supporting custom application signatures. This means traffic can be identified and steered very granularly, but without requiring complex rules to do so.

If more than one path meets your SLA, rules can be engineered to favor one link, or load balance traffic across multiple links. This allows you to provision and use a dedicated cloud on-ramp with just the right bandwidth requirements for critical workloads and use the lower cost path over the Internet only when it is performing up to the mark.

All SD-WAN endpoints can be centrally managed and orchestrated in a “single pane of glass”, giving you end-to-end actionable visibility across all cloud environments. With deep cloud-native integrations, VPLS’ Managed Secure SD-WAN service not only provides the performance that you need in multi-cloud and hybrid cloud architectures, but also provides advanced, industry-leading prevention and detection capabilities as your cloud next-gen firewall.

Optimize Your Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud Environments with VPLS

To recap, businesses are rapidly adopting multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments for their flexibility, but getting blindsided with unnecessary expense, configuration complexities, and unpredictable network performance.

Whether your business is already in this boat, or you are soon to adopt a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud architecture and want to do it right the first time, VPLS can guide your organization to optimize costs, provide a consistent user experience, and secure all of your cloud environments with industry-leading protection managed by a single pane of glass.

With the help of VPLS CloudHop™, our Internet and/or Ethernet Transport services, and our fully-managed Secure SD-WAN-as-a-Service, your business can take charge of this unstoppable industry move towards multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments, and continue serving your customers in bigger and better ways.

Back to School Tech Trends 2018

Blog Post / By VPLS Marketing Team

Published

Written by

Filed under

With the end of summer quickly approaching, one occasion is certainly on the rise: Back to School! At the moment, every school supply store is loaded with the classroom basics to fully equip teachers and students for another year of classes. Though being a teacher as a profession will always remain constant, their essentials and teaching methods however are being upgraded to a more tech savvy and efficient way to educate their students.

Let’s see how these five latest tech trends in classrooms can revolutionize the school scene…

1. The Internet of Things Will Be a Catch-All Solution for Classrooms!

Everything is possible in the classroom with the Internet of Things! Because of its capability to perform a multitude of daily tasks using sensors located around the classroom, teachers and school officials will be able to automate their tasks, like scheduling when lights turn on and off; customize their settings such as controlling the air conditioner and heater; and protect themselves and their students by arming and disarming various alarms, just with their mobile device. For a school setting to be able to fully utilize the Internet of Things, school officials should ensure that are enough codes and systems for their classroom setting so that there will be no overlapping that block the sensors.

2. Gaming Technology Will Make Learning Fun!

Who says learning cannot be fun? Incorporating gaming technology with various educational programs can provide students both an interactive virtual environment while they learn in school. Such technology will consist of virtual programs that will provide different responses based on how students answer each question. This is good way for students to acquire problem-solving skills as well. A great example of this is the game Minecraft where players can only move on to the next level by building their own solutions using blocks as their resource. By adding a fun technical flair to the learning process, students will be more engaged at school, thus making them more invested in their education in the long run.

3. Use Data to Advance Your Class!

Using data in a classroom can be quite advantageous for any school setting. This data can then be reviewed by teachers, to see how theirs students perform in a class, thus allowing teachers to adjust and improve their lesson plans accordingly. Additionally, by storing such data using a managed enterprise cloud environment, school officials will be able to access and retrieve data anytime and anywhere the occasion calls for it. Data plays an important role when it comes to ensuring that teachers are providing their students the best learning experience they possibly can.

4. Technology Encourages Students to Be Creators!

By incorporating computers and tablets into classrooms, students will be able to learn through the concept of creating. There are many programs on their devices to encourage them use their creativity to find solutions for problems. This will also help build great strategizing skills in the long run as well. By exposing their students to technology on the regular, teachers are preparing them to know how to master any computer program they will encounter in the future.

5. Technology-friendly Learning Spaces are the New Norm!

Technology in the classroom has sparked the re-designing of traditional learning spaces. These spaces are specifically designed to host computers along with other technology devices that will assist teachers and students alike in many areas of their education. An instance of this would be a makerspace where unique tech-related projects, such as coding and robot-building, can be created and completed in one setting.

It is easy to see that these technology features will help the education industry flourish in 2018. Technology is the key to making learning relevant and more enjoyable by providing both teachers and students a reason to look to forward to going to school every day.

If you want to keep up with the latest security trends and other IT related products and services, please visit the VPLS blog and stay current with the latest news!

Don’t forget! VPLS offers Cloud Replication with Zerto services that prepare, plan, and test for any problems or issues that may occur in your cloud environment!

The Importance of Properly Backing Up Your Office 365 Data

Blog Post / By VPLS Public Relations

VPLS Cloud and Backup Solutions in Orange County and Los Angeles County

IS YOUR DATA PROTECTED?

Fact: Over 50% of data loss is due to users accidentally (or maliciously) deleting essential data.

Over the past year, we’ve seen a great number of businesses switch over to Microsoft Office 365. Afterall, the product reduces the risk of downtime while still providing daily work essentials and documents. And while some basic safety measures may be in place, consumers often forget to include additional services to protect against data loss or data recovery solutions. …

The Importance of Properly Backing Up Your Office 365 DataRead More »

VPLS Cloud Services in Orange County and Los Angeles County

Essential Checklist for Finding the Perfect Cloud Service Provider!

Blog Post / By VPLS Public Relations

VPLS Cloud Services in Orange County and Los Angeles County

Essential Checklist: Finding the Perfect Cloud Hosting Provider

How can you be certain that your selected cloud hosting vendor is a trusted one who applies the best security practices? Easy! By knowing what questions to ask and recognizing potential red flags.

Without further ado, let’s dive in and go down the checklist of what to look for in a reputable cloud hosting company!

How To Select the Right Cloud Hosting Provider for Your Business

Signing up with a cloud hosting provider can feel overwhelming when you’re not sure what to look for. Additionally, many cloud hosting services tend to splash their site with ridiculous amounts of technical jargon that make it harder for any person to decipher alone.

To better understand what you’re signing up for and what services matter most to your business, let’s go down the list of essential questions and concerns you may want to be answered before proceeding:

Is the provider cloud compliant?

A legitimate cloud vendor may claim that they comply with legalities within the market they sell and service. Sadly, some providers who imply compliance, are really just banking on the compliance of their product and service partners. Be sure to ask details on compliance regulations and where their responsibilities lie when it comes to protecting data privacy.

Will the provider consent to an audit?

An honest cloud vendor will have no problem submitting their services to an audit. This audit should cover both the technology being provided and also the business processes the vendors use to operate those services. Passing an audit regularly is part of a trust-worthy cloud vendor’s normal routine.

VPLS Cloud Services in Orange County and Los Angeles County

Will the provider allow you to define their role and responsibilities?

A transparent cloud vendor will allow you to set clear expectations of what you want the vendor to be responsible for. Ideally, the vendor will meet these customer-defined responsibilities without any problem.

Will the provider deploy and enforce proper data protection standards?

A credible cloud vendor makes sure that their team members are using proper security technology to maintain and manage their services. This includes SSL encrypted connection, a sturdy password policy, and other practices that will guarantee a super secured cloud environment.

Will the provider practice proper cloud security policies?

A reliable cloud vendor knows exactly what security measures to take and when to put them into practice. They are known not only for preventing security breaches but also how to properly handle them should they occur.

Will the provider monitor physical security of the data server?

A responsible cloud vendor’s premises are secured with restricted access to secure equipment as well intricate device logging, to protect movable devices such as laptops and tablets.

Will the provider provide a service level agreement (SLA)?

A professional cloud vendor will continuously comply with all of the Service-Level requirements, inside and out, that were defined in the contract terms without having to be asked to do so.

VPLS Orange County and Los Angeles County California

Searching for the perfect cloud hosting provider doesn’t have to be so scary after all. Just keep this checklist on hand as you navigate towards a safe and reputable cloud hosting environment.

FOLLOW, LIKE & SHARE VPLS!

If you want to keep up with the latest security trends and other IT related products and services, please visit the VPLS blog and stay current with the latest news!

Don’t forget, VPLS offers Hybrid Cloud services that combine the flexibility and agility of putting on or pulling off data from hybrid data centers without compromising compliance and security.

VPLS Hybrid Public Private Cloud Services and How to Choose a Provider

Discover the Differences Between Private, Public, and Hybrid Cloud Services

Blog Post / By VPLS Public Relations

Learn the Differences Between Private, Public, and Hybrid Cloud Services

Selecting the right cloud service for your business can feel overwhelming when you discover the number of options available is nearly endless.

What’s the difference between a private cloud service versus a public cloud service? What is a hybrid cloud service?

Here are some quick lessons and tips to help you select the right option for your business needs.

VPLS Hybrid Cloud Services in Orange County California

CLOUD SERVICE 101

As a business continues to grow and flourish, there needs to exist a data storage strategy that can be efficient, easily accessible, and cost-effective. And let’s not forget about high security! However, choosing the right cloud infrastructure to meet your needs and budget is no easy task.

Technology quickly advances from one day to another, as cybersecurity threats adapt to strengthening firewalls and solutions. So, how are you supposed to figure which options are best for your business needs?

First, let’s cover the basics to help you uncover the right cloud solution:

Private Cloud Service

A private cloud service allows customers the ability to tailor cloud services to meet individual and unique needs. Typically, data is hosted on a dedicated server and provided the bare essentials. This means the customer is responsible for the management, maintenance, and security infrastructure to protect and secure business operations.

Private cloud services are typically selected by companies that are large enough to provide their own team for the responsibility of its service and maintenance, 24/7.

Dedicated hardware and software is fully supported and maintained by your company’s in-house team. No outsiders! There is a lower exposure to security threats since a shared network in non-existent.

As the sole owner, all repairs, maintenance, hardware and software upgrades are your responsibility.

Public Cloud Service

A public cloud service relieves customers of the responsibility for the management and maintenance of a dedicated data server. The provider supports, updates, and handles all of the customer’s needs which can be paid for on a monthly or annual service period. In addition to it being budget-friendly, a public cloud is a workplace essential that allows every employee to use the same application from any office or branch with their choice device as long as they have internet access.

Public cloud services are typically selected by companies that do not wish to spend their time and resources maintaining a cloud infrastructure but are looking to benefit from its uses.

Low-cost options are readily available as cloud service providers are responsible for the management and maintenance of data servers. Basic security compliance requirements met. Not ideal for users needing high-security compliance, such as government and medical use. A shared network means the cost of energy and resources can stay low, but can also reduce performance levels.

Hybrid Cloud Service

A hybrid cloud service combines the perks of both private cloud solutions and public cloud solutions to fit a variety of business needs. Instead of battling between having all of your IT services on or off an entire data center infrastructure, you can now choose to do both.

Hybrid cloud services are typically selected by companies that wish to have flexibility in service without sacrificing security.

Connect private clouds to public clouds without the risk of leaking confidential information or lessened security. Services can be scaled up or down to meet business demands and ensure you only pay for the space used. By using a combination of private and public cloud services, employees can easily and quickly access files, data, and applications.

Check out VPLS Hybrid Cloud Services to learn more or reach out to a VPLS Specialist to discover the many ways in which cloud solutions can help your business run at the top of its game.

FOLLOW, LIKE & SHARE VPLS!

If you want to keep up with the latest security trends and other IT related products and services, please visit the VPLS blog and stay current with the latest news! Don’t forget, VPLS offers Hybrid Cloud services that combine the flexibility and agility of putting on or pulling off data from hybrid data centers without compromising compliance and security.

6 Questions to Ask Before Moving Applications and Critical Data to the Cloud

Leave a Comment / Blog Post / By VPLS Public Relations

Which cloud approach will you take? It is not enough to say that you are going to move your applications to the cloud. Which cloud?

Public Cloud Options

Cost savings is the single biggest benefit to the public cloud since physical hardware and infrastructure resources that are owned and operated by a third-party data center provider are shared among a large number of clients. Applications in the public cloud are available on a pay-as-you-go basis and can more easily scale as a company grows and requirements increase. This data center will also have redundancy measures in place to increase reliability.

Private Cloud Options

A private cloud provides you with the resources of the public cloud but the hardware and infrastructure resources allocated to your company is for your use only and will not be used by any other organization. Therefore, these private applications, hardware, and infrastructure resources provide a greater level of security. They also enable you to customize your cloud services, tailoring them to your individual needs.

Hybrid Cloud Options

A hybrid cloud approach combines the best of both the public and private cloud worlds. It provides you with the increased security and customization of a private cloud but enables you to move data and processing resources to the public cloud as needed to accommodate a significant spike in demand.

This frees up space in the private cloud and enables you to keep business-critical applications and sensitive data in a secure environment while at the same time giving you the flexibility to quickly and easily scale non-mission critical applications as workloads expand and contract.

Working with a Data Center: Selecting a Private or Hybrid Cloud Approach

Taking this one step further, if you select the private or hybrid cloud approach, will you locate your private cloud in your own facility or work with a data center to deploy it in their facility? And, if you do choose to work with a data center provider, will you select a colocation solution where you own and manage your company’s equipment yourself while only utilizing the data center’s infrastructure resources or will you select a fully managed hosting option with a dedicated server where you lease the equipment and they manage, monitor and maintain all of the resources for you?

Your answers to these questions will most likely be based on the following criteria:

Expenses – Do you have the money to buy your own equipment or lease dedicated equipment from a data center or do limited funds require you to have the cost spread out among many companies?
Human Resources – Do you have a technical team on staff to be able to manage and maintain your own applications, equipment, and other resources or will you need the technical expertise of a data center provider to help?
Physical Space – Do you have the physical space and infrastructure to implement a private cloud solution in your company’s server room or do your company’s expected growth plans require you to consider a larger, purpose-built data center.

1. Can You Prevent a Cyber-Attack or Security Breach?

No company is immune to modern data breaches or cyber-attacks. The size or type of business doesn’t matter anymore. Hackers will target a small business just as quickly as a large enterprise. Although encryption does help protect data, there is always the possibility that the encryption key could be lost or, if your data and the keys that unlock them are stored on the same machine, you run the risk of a significant data breach if the machine is compromised and both the keys and data are stolen.

Have you also considered how you will prevent a breach if an employee’s laptop, smartphone or other mobile device is stolen? Do you have the ability to remotely wipe the device of all company information as soon as the theft has been discovered?

2. What is the Disaster Recovery Plan?

The first question to ask is does the cloud provider have a disaster recovery plan? What is it and how quickly can they get you back up and running after the disaster has occurred? What if your business is down for consecutive days and you incur financial losses as a result? Will the provider compensate you? Actual data loss or the inability to access applications as a result of a disaster is just one consideration. The second question to ask is what is your data backup strategy and who is responsible for it? Will data backup be your responsibility or the responsibility of the cloud provider?

3. Are There Bandwidth Limitations?

Do you know what your expected bandwidth needs will be and if it will increase or decrease over specific periods of time? Some cloud service providers have bandwidth limitations, can charge exorbitant rates for any additional bandwidth you need, or provide all clients with unlimited bandwidth. If not understood and assessed ahead of time, bandwidth limitations and additional fees could be a significant obstacle to a successful move to the could.

4. Can You Meet Compliance Requirements?

Do you know where your data is? For many companies with data in the public cloud, they do not. This could be a problem if your organization is in a regulated industry and needs to meet strict requirements on how and where your data is stored, managed and maintained. Selecting a local data center provider for colocation or managed hosting services who has been certified by an independent third-party auditor will ensure that you know where your servers and data are located and give you confidence that you are meeting all of the necessary compliance requirements.

5. What is the Total Cost of Ownership?

While cost savings is considered one of the key benefits of the public cloud, it is critical to compile a list of current and future expenses that you may incur to have a better understanding of your total cost of ownership of each cloud option – public, private and hybrid. How much will the cost of public cloud storage increase over the next few years?

What is the cost difference between buying your own servers and placing them in a colocation environment vs leasing the equipment in a hosting environment?

If you do not currently have an IT team on staff, how much would it cost the company in salary, benefits, and training to hire 2 new IT professionals vs hiring the data center provider to monitor and maintain your equipment and data? Only by sitting down and evaluating the total cost of ownership will you get a true understanding of what the actual costs will be.

6. Cloud Strategy Considerations

Although a cloud strategy does provide significant benefits, there are still considerations that need to be made before you jump into the cloud. And, after an analysis of your needs, priorities, resources, and budget, you may or may not find that a cloud strategy will be the right solution for you. At Evocative, we take the role of trusted advisor seriously.

We do not push companies in one direction or another. Our approach is to listen, first. We want to get to know who you are, what you do, and what your goals and challenges are. Then, we make recommendations that are in your best interest. If you need help doing a cost-benefit analysis of your company’s migration to the cloud, we are here for you. Give us a call at 888-365-COLO (2656)

From Silicon Valley to Hybrid Cloud and Beyond, Evocative Leads Data Center Clients into the Future

Leave a Comment / News / By VPLS Public Relations

Evocative Then: A Reputation for Data Center Excellence Evocative has been a pioneer in the Northern California data center market for almost 20 years and has a long-established reputation for excellence in colocation and managed hosting services that meet the unique needs of each individual client. Over the years, our San Jose data center (SJC7) has become a fixture in the heart of Silicon Valley, the West Coast’s epicenter of innovation, due to the value that we provide and the ability for clients to utilize our services on their terms. We are proud to have become an enduring member of the IT community and a trusted technology partner to enterprises, small and mid-size businesses and startups from Silicon Valley to the San Francisco Bay Area.
[spacer height=”20px”]

Evocative Now: Hybrid Cloud and More

[spacer height=”20px”]
Today’s Evocative is in a unique position to deliver solutions that are rarely available from other data center providers. Although we are proud of the 100% uptime that we have consistently maintained for more than 10 years, not all clients require that level of availability for their specific applications. That’s why our data centers are designed with hybrid IT solutions in mind. Whether or not your business is located in a center for innovation like Silicon Valley, we believe that companies will achieve greater success and be able to scale more quickly when they have access to a data center which has earmarked space specifically for research and testing. A purpose-built lab environment with cost-effective energy-dense power systems, cooling, and cross-connect solutions enable companies of all sizes to maximize their research and testing capabilities. That’s why every Evocative data center provides research and testing facilities alongside fully compliant, mission-critical data management and availability, as well as cold storage to securely store and retrieve data when necessary. This ability to utilize the services you need today but quickly and easily transition to other services as your needs change, enables you to grow at the speed of business.[spacer height=”20px”]

The Current State of Multi-Cloud & Hybrid Cloud

Cloud On-Ramps & VPLS CloudHop™

Intelligent Path Selection & Path Redundancy with Secure SD-WAN

Optimize Your Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud Environments with VPLS

The 20-year industry veteran will lead our growing engineering and services delivery team.

1. The Internet of Things Will Be a Catch-All Solution for Classrooms!

2. Gaming Technology Will Make Learning Fun!

3. Use Data to Advance Your Class!

4. Technology Encourages Students to Be Creators!

5. Technology-friendly Learning Spaces are the New Norm!

Buying vs Renting Veeam Licenses

Learn the Differences Between Private, Public, and Hybrid Cloud Services

CLOUD SERVICE 101

Private Cloud Service

Public Cloud Service

Hybrid Cloud Service

FOLLOW, LIKE & SHARE VPLS!

Happy Valentine’s Day!